Touristic Districts

Monferrato

Monferrato is one of the most historic regions in Piedmont, lying almost entirely within the province of Alessandria; its borders on the south are defined by the course of the Tanaro, Belbo and Bormida rivers, and on the north by that of the Po. It is a relatively hilly region of moderate elevation, dotted here and there by small villages and also by some larger towns. Down through the centuries, Monferrato has been the theatre of a wide and varied series of historical events.
The marquisate of Monferrato was founded toward the end of the tenth century by Oddone of the Aleramici family who controlled it until the last marquis, Giovanni I died without leaving a male heir, in 1305. The marquisate then passed to his sister Violante, wife of the Greek emperor Andronico Paleologo. The Paleologo dynasty ruled until 1633 when Giangiorgio died without an heir apparent, therefore opening a dispute for succession between the Gonzaga of Mantua (one of whom had married the niece of the last marquis) and the Savoia family who, besides a parental claim, also cited an agreement forged between themselves and the Paleologo family regarding succession in the event of the extinction of the male line.
The dispute was settled by Emperor Charles V in favour of the Gonzaga who took possession of the marquisate after the treaty of Chateau CambrÚsis (1559). The Gonzaga, much to the dislike of the people of Monferrato, began selling off large tracts of land to the highest bidder, most of which invariably fell into the hands of Mantovans, Genoans and Lombards, and never really tried to make Monferrato an integral part of their Mantuan state.
At Monferrato, there is tourist accommodation available in hotels, farm holiday, farmhouse, residence self-catering accommodation, b&b, rooms for rent, holiday homes, camp sites and tourist villages.